[Shelia]

#1019232

what should my t3 and t4 levels be to be normal? I see on here that alot of you have ben to a endro, my doctor has not sent me to one and I really don’t understand any of this. I have been on my ptu sense November 08 and my levels go from to high to to low, I don’t understand why they do this. I have alot of facial swellowing and my doctor say’s this is not normal but can’t tell me why it swellows.And I have very bad headaches is this normal? I feel like I don’t get any answers from my Doctor and that I am just hanging in limbo.I don’t know if there are any side affects to my meds. I just have so many questions ,and need to know so much but really don’t know where to start. thank you for any help you can offer.
Shelia

[Ski]

#1070268

Each lab has slightly different methods of testing and that results in slightly different ranges of normal ~ you should be getting copies of your test results so that you can keep track of them. You care more about you than the doctor does (obviously!). Given your doctor’s seeming hesitation to actually fill you in on what’s going on with you, I would say that it’s time for you to go on a research mission and find out everything you can about Graves’ and the treatment you’re on. Make sure you are visiting sites (like ours) that subscribe to medical standards of accuracy, because there are a LOT of sites out there pushing bad information. Look for the professionals, the American Thyroid Association, for instance. We have a couple of links on the NGDF.org website, they can help you get started.

The range of normal T3 and T4 levels is really quite large, because different people feel normal at different points along the range. It’s not as simple as saying "oh look, they’re in the normal range, I’m fine!" We need to find OUR normal, not just get into the normal range.

This all takes some time, and then it takes time to heal from the hyperthyroism ~ AFTER our levels are normal and stable. So brace yourself. But definitely educate yourself. Do a search on this board for topics you’re interested in ~ I know there’s a lot of good information here.

Ask us any questions you have as you go through the process, we’re here to help!

[Shelia]

#1070269

Thank you for your information. I will do research and learn as much as I can on my condition. I will contact my Doctor and get my results from my labs. He has also done cat scans and mri, do I need to get those results also? Those was done because of all my facial swellowing and my bad headaches. Is the headaches and facial swellowing a sympton of my Graves? Also what is a good site to go to, to find out all the side affects of my PTU. I read it could cause liver damage, and would like to read up on the meds I am Given. Again Thank you for any information you could give me.

[Ski]

#1070270

The CAT scan and MRI results are likely more difficult for you to get, and they probably won’t help you, personally, figure out where you stand.

Headaches can be a symptom of Graves’, or they can be associated with Thyroid Eye Disease, which is another autoimmune disease that commonly comes along with Graves’ (it’s the "eye-bulging" disease).

Not sure whether your facial swelling might be related to GD ~ it depends on a lot of different factors.

You can research meds several places online ~ you may want to start with Wikipedia and then follow the related links.

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